Hay-fork



L. Y. MYERS.

(Model.)

HAY FORK.

Patented Aug. 29, 1882.

UNTTSED STATES aTnNT raten@ LEWIS Y. MYERS, OF CANTON, OHIO.

HAY-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,562, dated August29, 1882. Application filed December 3, 1881. (Model.)

T all Iwhom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS Y. MYERS, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Oanton, in the county ot'Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare the following to be at'ull, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specitication.

This invention relates to an improved device for grasping and elevatinghay. lt relates also to improvements in devices for locking together themovable parts of the fork or elevator; and, further, to devices forstopping the movements of the parts at proper times relatively to eachother.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved hay-fork. Fig. 2 is aninner view of one of the parts ofthe supporting-head. Fig. 3 is acorresponding view ot' the opposite part ot' the supporting-head. Fig. 4is a side elevation of the fork. Fig. 5 is a perspective ot' one of thelocking-dogs and the yoke detached. Fig. Gis a perspective ot' a portionofthe spear.

The supporting part ot' my improved fork, which holds the otherportions, is represented by A and B, these indicating two castings soarranged as when brought together to form an interior chamber forreceiving, retaining, and guiding the pivoting, locking, and stopmechanism. Each of the parts A and B of the supporting-head is cast withtwo laterallyprojecting ears, those on the part A being indicated by aa, those on the part B by I) b, these ears being provided withcorresponding bolt-holes for securing the parts together. Y

O O represent the hooks for inclosing the load ot' hay, each beingpivoted hy means ot' one ofthe clamping-bolts c to the supportingheadbetween one of the ears a and one ot' the ears b. In order to allowfreedom of play for the hooks O O, an open space is provided between theears of each opposing pair, which space may be produced by casting theears to the central part of the head-pieces, so that their inner facesshall be below the surface or edge of said central part. By means oflugs e e on one part of the supporting-head-as the part B-adapted to litinto seats or recessesf f in tho opposing part, the two parts ot' thehead A B maybe prevented from slippinglongitudinally relatively to eachother. The central part ot the headA B is expanded on lines transverseto those ot' the ears a b, there being in the part A recesses j'fat oneend, a chamber E, shoulders g g, a recess or seat, F', a recess or way,G, and a stud or lug, h. The central portion ot' the other part ot' thehead B is formed with recesses/t t', corresponding in position to thoseatffin the part B, a chamber, H, shoulders I, a recess, J, a recess orway, K, and a stud or lug, h. \Vhen the parts A and B are placedtogether the chamber Hin one part adjoins the chamber E in the other,the shoulders l I lie in the same lines substantially as the shouldersggfand the recesses J and Fare opposite to each other, as are also thevays K and G and the studs or lugs h h. It will be seen that when theparts are thus put together there is a'continuons way or passage throughthe central part of the head A B. In this passage or way is mounted thespear or sliding tine ot' the fork, said spear being constructedpreferably with a shank or stem, L', and a ring, M. It is provided withtwo elongated slots, t i', on opposite sides, in which are situated therespective lugs or studs lL h when the parts are put together. The saidstuds orlug's allow of but a limited movement ot' the spear L M, onlysuch movement beingV allowed as will permit the loading and unloading otthe fork. When the fork is to be loaded the spear L is drawn up into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and this upward drawing ot'the spear also opens and draws upward the pivoted hooks O O, they beingconnected liexibly with the ring M or the upper end of the spear bymeans ot cords or chains N. After the parts ot' the fork have been thusopened the spear is forced downward into the hay as far as the lugs orstuds h h will permit it, and the hooks C O are then pushed down totheir lowermost point. The pushing down of the spear L causes it to beYautomaticallylocked in its W- est position b y means of the followingdevices:

O O are dogs mounted within the central chamber of the. head A B, uponopposite sides of the spear L. They are prevented from inevinglongitudinally relatively to said head by means of cross-bars or lugsjj,which are seated in the recesses J F, and which, although they, as abovesaid, prevent longitudinal play of the dogs, allow them to oscillate alittle upon the bars orlugs as centers. These dogs engage with 4thespear by means of shoulders 7c on the dogs and shoulders lon the spear`produced by forniing therein recesses l. XVhen the spear is at itslowest point it has been brought down sufficiently far to have theshoulders k engage with the shoulders lon the spear, and if then anupward strain be exerted upon the spear, and if the dogs be kept inengagement with the shoulders l, they will prevent any upwardlongitudinal movement of the spear in the head A B. In order to hold thedogsin such engagement as last mentioned, I employ a yoke, P, which,although mounted loosely and detachably in the interior chamber of thehead, is nevertheless arranged so as to have a swinging movement at oneend, as it' it were hinged at the other-that is to say, one end issubstantially stationary, while the other oscillates vertically. Thestationary end is mounted in the chainber E of thepartA, said chamberhaving shoulders m, inclined relatively to the shoulders g Ag, thedistance between them at their outer ends being about the same as thethickness of the lyoke P. The other end of the yoke P is situated in theopposite chamber, H, which chamber is large enough at the outer end topermitan oscillating play of the end of the yoke mounted therein. Theyoke has a central aperture, (preferably rectangular,) and it surroundsthe spear and the two dogs O O. Just as the spear is reaching its lowestpoint, and the dogs O O', by their shoulders k k, are engaging with theshoulders l l on the spear, pins n n, projecting laterally from thespear, strike the yoke and swing it downward, so that it shall pass overthe dog O and assume a position substantially transverse to the lineofthe spear, it (the yoke) at this time resting or bearing upon theshoulders I g. While the yoke is in thisposition thedogs are heldtightly in engagement with the spear in the recesses l l', and thereforeprevent any upward longitudinal movement of the spear. The load, beingthus locked in the fork, is now7 elevated to the desired point, and whenthere is released by swinging upward the oscillating end of the yoke P,which upward swinging throws it beyond the end of the dog O, and thespear therefore can escape from an engagement with the dog, such escapebeing made possible by the beveling or inclining of the engagingshoulders k and l. rlhe end of the yokeis thus moved upward by means ofa chain or cord, Q, running up a short distance, thence out through anaperture, o, in the part B of the head, and thence downward to theoperators hand.

It will be seen that all of the parts of my improved fork areexceedingly simple, each of them being of such shape and character thatit can be easily cast, and therefore manufactured at but comparativelylittle cost. None of the ordinary rivets or pivots or hinges arenecessary, and therefore the fork is in many respects stronger thanthose in which pivoting and hinging devices are required. However, ifdesired, pivots might be employed as means ot' attaching the yoke P orthe dogs O 0', though I prefer the construction shown and described.

What I claim isl. The combination of the following elements: the part Aofthe supporting-head, cast with theinclined pivoting-recess E, thepivoting-recesses F and J, the stud h, and the passage runninglongitudinally through said part A, the partB of the head, having thechamber H and the pivoting-recess J, the longitudinally-moving spear,the locking devices pivoted in the recesses Fand J, and a yoke or clamping device pivoted and swinging in the chambers E H, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination of the following elements: the supporting-headprovided with a way longitudinally through it, and with lugs or stops h,the spear L, mounted in said snpporting-head and provided with the slotst', the dogs O 0, the yoke P, and the pins n n, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination, with the sliding spear, the devices which prevent anupward movement of the spear relatively tothe casing, and the yoke P forlocking said devices, ofthe casing having the chamber E on one side ofthe spear, formed with the converging shoulders m g, to provide apivoting-recess for the yoke, and having the chamber H on the oppositeside of the spear to permit the oscillation ot that end of the yokesituated therein, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the head A B` formed with an inclosed chamber, thespear L', which passes entirely through said head, the lockingdogs O O',retained within said head,but mounted loosely therein, and the yoke P,mounted loosely within the head, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the head A B and the spear passing entirelythrough the head, ot' the locking-dogs O O', arranged ou opposite sidesof the spear, and the yoke P, which surrounds the spear, and also thelocking-dogs, said yoke and locking-dogs being retained loosely in thehead, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the head A B, the spear passing through the head,the dogs 0 O, and the yoke P, all mounted within the head, the hook G(l, pivoted to the head independently of the spear, and the cords N,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I atix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Lnwrs Y. MYE 2s.

Witnesses:

HENRY FISHER, J Aeon P. Fnwcnr'r.

